


Recollection

by hamburr_fangirl, Rose_Blue99



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Amnesia, Car Accidents, Complicated Relationships, Crime & Mystery, Divorce, Kidnapping, Lawyers, M/M, Schizophrenia, Slow Burn, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-05-22 00:24:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14925869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hamburr_fangirl/pseuds/hamburr_fangirl, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rose_Blue99/pseuds/Rose_Blue99
Summary: In a perfect world, there would be no need for laws against crime to be set into place. There would be no need for locks on our doors just to have a good night’s rest. And no need for parents to say to their children: “be careful around strangers."But this world is not perfect and unfortunate things tend to happen.Things are very tense in New York City. Teenage girls are going missing and it’s very odd that no one has spotted the kidnapper yet. It seems that NYC’s best team of detectives and prosecutor are the right ones for this job.Meanwhile Alexander, who has left New York for four years, returns to realize he has no memory of why he left and, strangely, that he still has strong feelings for Aaron. However, the latter piece of information does him no good considering that his ex-husband wants nothing to do with him now. And he has no idea why.





	1. Transfer

_Frank Murphy Hall of Justice_  
Detroit, Michigan  
Wednesday, January 17

Alexander faced towards the front of the courthouse. He was hunched over with his elbows resting on the table in front of him, fighting the urge to scribble notes onto his tablet to busy himself. He, along with everyone else in the room, waited for the jury to return with the verdict. The four cups of coffee that he inhaled that morning did just enough to get him through the trial, but the caffeine buzz was starting to fade now and a headache was impending. It had been an exhausting case, to begin with, and that brutal cross-examination didn’t help.

He heard a faint whisper of his surname come from his left and turned to see his opponent, Donovan Giles, speaking lowly to his client. The client glared at him with the intensity of a true murderer – which he was. He must believe they were undoubtedly going to find him guilty. Alexander, for all his excessive talking and overexcited hand gestures, was a great prosecutor. Having lived in Detroit for four years, it was well-known by now that winning a case against him would be nearly improbable. It had happened a few times before, but Giles was the only attorney who’d managed to best him in court.

That was the reason why Alexander was a bit nervous about the verdict. Both men presented good points in their cross-examination so there’s no telling whose side the jury leaned toward. Alexander just hopes he won this one. Not only for his reputation, but also for the young woman sitting directly behind him. Alexander turned to her and gave her a sincere smile. She returned it with a small one of her own, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Shit. They’re back.” He heard someone say and that abruptly ended the moment.

He looked up and realized that the jury were indeed returning to their box. The judge gestured for Alexander, Giles, and the defendant to stand. They did. Alexander felt dizzy from nerves (and caffeine withdrawal) as he watched the head juror unfold a slip of paper in her hands.

The judge straightened in her seat. “On the first-degree assault and first-degree murder of Carmen Russo, how do you find the defendant?”

The short woman certainly took her time with the response. Every person in the room held their breath. When she finally spoke, her voice was firm and clear.

“Your Honor, on behalf of the City of Detroit, we find the defendant guilty of both charges.”

Two things happened after that.

The family members of the victim were blatantly obvious about their delight for the final decision. One person – the one who had drawn Alexander’s attention to the jurors’ arrival – was so rowdy that he threw what might have been an ink pen at the defendant. The defendant then became red with rage, shoved past Giles, and darted across the room with the intention of beating his attacker. It took three security guards to escort him from the courtroom.

Alexander let out a long exhale, feeling the tension ease from his muscles. Thank god that was over.

A hand appeared on his shoulder. He turned and was immediately pulled into a hug by the young woman he’d smiled at before. Amy, he believed her name was.

Amy pulled away with a tearful smile. “Thank you so much, Mr. Hamilton. Putting that man away won’t bring Carmen back, but I’m glad he’ll be punished for what was done to her.”

“I agree. And now we know that he won’t be hurting anyone elsewhere he’s going.” Alexander grinned and squeezed her hand. He empathized with her. He knew all too well the pain of losing a spouse.

Granted, divorce and homicide were two very separate things. Nevertheless, the overall result was technically the same.

“For sure.” Amy averted her eyes. “I should be going. Thanks again. Maybe we’ll meet again under better circumstances.”

“That would be nice.”

Once she was out of sight, Alexander turned to his briefcase and laid it on the table to pop it open. He took out a bottle of Excedrin and swallowed two of the pills dry.

After gathering his belongings, he rushed to the elevator. He was too late, everyone had already gotten on it and were heading downstairs already. Alexander really didn’t want to wait for it to return. He’d just have to use his remaining energy to take the stairs.

It was not that Alexander had any disdain for Giles and he didn’t think Giles had any for him either. It was more of a passive-aggressive tension thing that came with being on opposite sides of the court. As much as he hated to admit it, Giles had been his favorite rival for the past four years. But that didn’t mean he particularly wanted to share a walk down five flights of stairs with him. Both men were quiet as they descend to the bottom floor.

After a few seconds, the silence had become unbearable for Alexander. “That case was pretty damn brutal, right? That poor girl.”

Giles sighed. “Yeah.”

The short response didn’t satisfy Alexander, so he kept going. “You made some really good points, y’know. Almost had me convinced for a minute there.” He paused. “Okay, not really, but it was still good. Can’t win them all, Giles. You’re especially at a disadvantage considering that you work for the dark side–“

“Actually, I was thinking about becoming a prosecutor. Like you, counselor.” Giles smirked at him.

Alexander frowned. He didn’t expect Giles to answer his rambling at all let alone with a statement like that. “Really? Forgive my asking, but you’re going from being a defense attorney to a prosecutor? I didn’t know that was a thing that could happen.”

“Neither did I,” Giles shrugged. “But I applied for the job in Lansing and they accepted me. This, unfortunately, was my last case on ‘the dark side’. It’s a shame we won’t see as much of each other anymore. These past few years have been interesting, Hamilton.”

“No, I understand. We all move on to better things. Like me. In two weeks time, I’ll be transferring to the office in New York. It pays more and I’m closer to my kids.”

“New York? You mean you’re going to work for Washington? That job’s hard to get with him being so picky.” He squinted at him. “How did you end up with it?”

“Well, I’ve worked there before, so it’s not like a fresh start or anything. Plus, Washington is an old friend of mine.”

Giles hummed and they fell silent again. Once they made it to the front doors of the courthouse preparing to part ways, Giles turned to Alexander.

“Does it...feel good to you? To have people put away because of the things they do?”

Alexander frowned again. “Of course it does. I know you’ve been a die-hard defense attorney for all this time, but that guy deserved everything he got for what he did to Carmen Russo.”

“No, I know that! I just mean...you don’t think everyone deserves what they get, right? Sometimes there are exceptions.” Giles insisted.

But Alexander was hearing none of it. He snapped, “No, there aren’t. Criminals are criminals. I mean, forgive the cliche, but if they do the crime, they do the time. Who they are, or why they did what they did, is irrelevant when compared to the bigger picture. The law is put into practice to keep the public safe from people like them. Like seriously, Giles, if you’re planning on becoming a prosecutor you really need to get that into your head sooner rather than later.”

Giles pressed his mouth into a thin line and said nothing. He looked thoughtful for a moment before he turned his back to Alexander and simply replied, “Okay.”

As his former opponent began to walk in the opposite direction, Alexander shouted after him.

“By the way, good luck on the new job in Lansing! I hope you give your new opponent as much hell as I gave you in court.”

Giles laughed but didn’t turn around again. “I doubt I’ll ever be as infuriating as you, Hamilton. Goodbye.”

~•~

Late that night, Alexander was back in his apartment. He sat on his sofa with a fresh cup of coffee beside his laptop as he video chatted with his kids.

When he moved to Detroit a year after his divorce, he wanted to ensure that he could see his kids of them as often as possible. Sometimes, he would buy them tickets to fly in the summer and other times he would surprise them with a visit on holidays, but mostly it was through a screen that he saw them grow up. Aaron would always help with arranging to meet with them, but his side of the discussions were usually cold and terse over the phone. The details of why they separated were a little foggy for Alexander; however, Aaron’s behavior was still baffling, and kind of rude.

That aside, not seeing his kids was his biggest regret about moving away. Luckily, their enthusiasm is potent enough to make these chats feel like they’re in person. He laughed as they practically screamed at him about how their day went.

Phillip relayed his story of how he and his friend Geo snuck into the science lab before school hours to sabotage a bully’s project. They weren’t nearly as stealthy as they thought, however, and were immediately caught and reported to the principal.

Alexander knew he should be discouraging that kind of behavior in his son, but that would be hypocritical.

Philip was too much like him for his own good. He was loud-mouthed, and brash and so many things excited him. He was only eleven when Alexander left and, honestly, not a thing has changed about him other than his voice and facial features (features that were 100% Alexander). Philip does sometimes have a tendency to show a softer side of himself at rare times. Those were moments that Alexander could only assume he’d gotten from Eliza, a friend of Alexander who had been willing to carry Philip for them while Aaron’s friend carried Theodosia.

Speaking of Theodosia, she was another matter entirely. She’s ten months older than her brother and was basically the moon while Philip was the sun. She took vastly after Aaron in everything but looks. Her eyes were Aaron’s (and they were beautiful) but her nose, cheek structure, and ears belonged to her birth mother – who was also named Theodosia.

Sadly Theodosia Sr. passed away from illness just two years after Theo was born. At first, Alexander didn’t think it seemed very fair for her not to have that mother figure in her life that all little girls need. Although when Alexander himself began trying to take on that role, she told him he was acting silly and that she has two fathers that love her and that was enough. His mature little girl.

Neither of them were so little anymore, though. The fact that their youth was flying by so quickly was the very reason that Alexander put in for the transfer back to New York in the first place.

Right. That reminded him.

Theodosia was in the middle of her story when he broke into the conversation again. “Hey, kiddos, sorry to interrupt. But this is important. Guess what.”

“What’s up, Pops?” Philip’s curiosity, as usual, was piqued. He bounced a bit in his seat while his sister – though a bit irked at being cut off – tilted her head to the side in silent questioning.

“I’m not going to just tell you though. You have to guess.”

“It’s not another thing about work, is it?” Theo rolled her eyes

“... yeah, actually.”

When they groaned Alexander hurriedly said, “No, no! It’s a good thing. I swear. Keep guessing.”

“Did you win a case?”

“Obviously, but that’s not it.”

After a few more guesses and getting a negative response every time, Theo crossed her arms and huffed. “I don’t like this game anymore, Pa.”

Even Philip had given up. “There's, like, sixty different things about work that could have happened. Can’t you just tell us already?”

Alexander pouted. “Aw. You guys used to love the guessing game. Now you’re no fun.” He grinned when all he got back were glares. “Alright, alright. Here goes. Kids, I got transferred back to my old office in New York. That means I’ll be coming home for good in a few weeks.”

He sat back and waited for their reactions. At first, they said nothing. They just glanced at each other as if asking if he was serious them back to the screen. Then Philip finally spoke.

“Holy shit, Pops. You for real?”

“Language and yes. I’ve really missed you guys lately and I want to come home to be with you more often. I know we can’t get back the past couple of years but I think the lost time can still be made up–“

The loud and excited chatter from two teenagers in unison drowned out anything else he had to say. That’s too bad. He had like a thousand more words to say. The entire speech was rehearsed in his head for a week. Still, though, the pure happiness on his children’s faces was worth it.

Eventually, they’d gotten a bit too loud and he knew he had to shush them or risk waking their dad. Alexander remembered that his ex-husband was a grumpy riser and he didn’t want to give the man a reason to hate him any more than he already seemed to.

“Hey. Calm down. You don’t want to wake your dad, do you?”

“Oh, he’s already awake. We haven’t been able to keep him away from his laptop lately. He works like crazy now.” Theodosia shrugged like it was no big deal, but she had a small frown on her lips

“Yep. I even hid it once but he found it anyway. I got trouble for it, too. Nothing serious. Just a forty-five-minute lecture on ‘maturity’.” Philip emphasized his annoyance with air quotes. “But I think it’s about time we went to bed, though. School and all that bull.”

Theodosia scoffed at him. “You can tell how much time he’s been spending with Uncle John since you left. He’s practically his clone now.”

“Whatever, T. You’re just no fun. Acting like a grownup all the time.”

Alexander chuckled a bit to himself as he listened to them squabble back and forth for the next few minutes. “Alright, you two. I think it really is time you got some sleep. I’ll see you soon. Love you.”

“Love you, too! ‘Night!”

He ended the call and leaned back against the couch, anticipating how his return back to New York City would go.

His city. His home.

He had been gone for so long now that he wondered how much had changed since he’d last been there. Although the funniest thing about his departure...

Alexander couldn’t remember why he would ever leave in the first place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to give me feedback. Constructive criticism is always welcome. :)


	2. Reunion

_John F. Kennedy International Airport_  
New York City, New York  
Friday, February 2

“Hey, Pops! Over here!”

Alexander heard his son before he saw him. He had just gotten off his flight at about ten minutes after noon and was headed towards the entrance. He laughed when he spotted Philip there, standing on the tips of his toes and waving around to catch Alexander’s attention. Theodosia was beside him, one hand pushed into her coat and the other texting at quick speed. When she heard Philip’s signal of his arrival, she immediately looked up and grinned. Warmth spread through Alexander’s chest as he slid through the crowd – albeit, a tad delayed due to a menacing leg cramp – to wrap the two of them into a tight hug.

“God, I’ve missed you both so much.” He pulled back a little so he could pepper them with kisses instead.

Philip started to squirm out of his grip. “Okay. I think that’s enough of that.” He managed to wiggle just enough to slip underneath Alexander’s arm and step away a bit. “Like, we missed you and everything, but that was just getting gross.”

Theodosia giggled and stepped away too. “It wasn’t just us that missed you. I wanted to warn you sooner, but they made me promise not to say anything until you’d already gotten here. This isn’t my fault, by the way. Someone couldn’t keep their mouth shut.” She shot Philip a look but her brother was doing a remarkable job at pretending he wasn’t listening anymore.

Alexander just looked at her for a moment before it dawned out him.

He groaned. “There’s going to be trouble waiting for me in the parking lot, isn’t there?”

Theodosia nodded.

“Who came?”

“Uh, all of them.”

“All of them?”

“Just the uncles. Though, that’s not really much better.”

This was bad. If all of Alexander’s friends were there waiting to take turns beating him up, there was no way he’d make it out alive. His only hope was that their relief to see him again would distract them from anger just a bit. To anyone else this thinking would be seen as him being overly dramatic, but getting punched in the face three times in a row wasn’t fun and it certainly didn’t feel good.

“Shit...”

Philip laughed at his expense. “Oh, don’t be like that. I doubt it’s even gonna be that bad.”

He was right. It really wasn’t as bad as Alexander pictured it in his mind. Once the three of them made it out to the parking lot to meet up with the others, his long-time friends – John Laurens, Hercules Mulligan, and Lafayette – were standing side by side with their arms folded over their chests.

With all of them together like that, their eyes narrowed as he drew near, Alexander was taken back to their days in college. It’s not that the four used to go around looking for trouble all day, everyday. It’s just that when they teamed up, they were formidable. They backed each other up in fights (half the time it was Alexander’s fight and the other half it was John’s) and they continued to stick together even after they all grew up, married, and raised kids. He loved his friends, but the love mixed with dread as he remembered why they were all gathered here.

Now he knew why half of their schoolmates steered clear of them.

The kids were propped against one of the cars behind their parents, huddled together for warmth. Theodosia and Philip ran off to join them, leaving their father to his fate.

Surprisingly, Alexander managed to get away with only one good punch to the ribs. Unsurprisingly, his best friend was the one that delivered it to him. Once that was done, they all laughed it off and that was the end of the confrontation.

“Thanks, John. A bruise is exactly what I needed to distract from the leg cramp I got after a two hour flight.”

“Always here to help, man.” John smiled and yanked him into a hug.

“So, where’s Chuck?” Alexander asked John as he pulled away.

“ _Charles_ is still at the station. Police reports pile up, y’know? He got lucky. I would’ve made him be here otherwise.”

“That’s too bad. Although, to be honest, it doesn’t really offend me that he’s not here. We weren’t that close.”

“God, why do I even try with you two anymore?” John muttered.

Alexander shrugged and moved on to the others. “Herc, Laf! How’s it been for you two?” He playfully gestures to William and Georges – their adoptive sons. “From what Philip tells me, our boys have been menaces to society.”

Hercules threw a heavy arm across his shoulders. “Life’s been really good. Yeah, they’re just like the four of us when we were in college, except they’re missing a guy. It’s so great to have you back, Alex!”

“ _Oui, mon ami! Vous avez été considérablement manqué_.” Lafayette gave him a warm smile. “It has not been the same without you.”

Alexander nodded. “Right. I’m sure it hasn’t. With me being such an influential person in everyone’s life and all that.”

Lafayette shook his head. “You are still very humble, I see.”

“God, I know. Honestly, it’s a wonder how I could constantly be surrounded by narcissists and still remain so humble.”

“It’s a wonder how your big head didn’t weigh the plane down.” Hercules joked.

The four of them burst into uproarious laughter again. Yeah, this definitely was home. Joking around with his friends like this made Alexander feel like he’d been around the whole time. He was about to counter Hercules’s comment, when an agitated noise drew his attention.

“Look. I’m sorry to be the one to interrupt the weird four way bromance you guys have going on, but it’s, like, thirty degrees and I’m pretty sure my ass is stuck to the car door now.” John’s daughter, Frances, scowled at them and looked every single bit like her father as she did so.

Nobody took her seriously, though. She was so cute with her kitty-shaped beanie and her hands shoved into the pockets of her coat.

When her scowl deepened, John went over to her and poked her in the side. “Stop being so grumpy, Fran. You guys heard the lady. Let’s get the hell out of here already. Alex, you’re riding with me.”

“Cool. Just let me put my stuff in the trunk.”

~•~

Alexander, John, Philip, Theodosia, and Frances were all piled into John’s car. The first ten minutes of the ride had been silent. Everyone was enjoying the heat and watching the buildings pass by. It was a comfortable quiet.

Then this happened:

“My god, Theo, who ya texting so much, huh? You gotta cute boyfriend Pa should know about?” Philip asked loud enough for it to carry throughout the car.

And immediately, the silence was ruined.

Theodosia tensed briefly before calming herself. “Are we really blasting out people’s secrets now, Pip? If so, I happen to know a pretty big one of yours, too.” She sweetly threatened without looking up from her phone once.

Philip paused for a moment. “You don’t know nothing.”

“Anything.” She corrected. “And, yes, I do. You see, I happen to know about a certain poem...”

“Ha. Nice try, Theo, but everyone who knows me well knows I write-“

“...titled ‘Fourth of July’.” She finally glanced him and smirked when she saw that he’d paled. “I found it in your jeans when I was doing the laundry. It’s pretty obvious to know who it’s about if you’re clever enough to connect the dots – which I am.”

Philip’s face became a deep shade of red. Alexander could sense him look up front to make sure he and John weren’t listening. They were, obviously, but they pretended not to be.

Philip mumbled. “I’m sorry about telling your business. That was immature. Just please… don’t tell anyone. Especially not William. He’s in the same class as him and I can’t risk getting humiliated.” He stuck out his pinky which Theodosia accepted with a small grin.

“Okay, now that that awkwardness is cleared up,” Frances spoke up. “Uncle Alex, where are you gonna be staying now that you’re back?”

“Well, my soon-to-be-again boss told me about a guest house that he owns a little ways away from the city. He offered to let me stay there until I was able to get an apartment closer to work and get settled into it.” Alexander explained.

He winced as he felt a headache building. It was slight throb now but it was only a matter of time before it turned into full fledged pounding against his skull. John noticed and glanced over. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” he massaged his temples. “Yeah, I’m good. It’s just that the altitude from the ride caused a pressure buildup or something. Also, I’m coming down off my caffeine high. As a matter of fact, do you mind making a quick stop at that coffee house I used to love? I want to get a to-go.”

“But the headache will still be there. You just won’t feel it for awhile.”

“That’s the point. And?”

“It doesn’t make sense to delay the headache with more coffee so you’ll just get another headache later tonight when you could just – no, actually. Never mind. I’ll take you. Just be quick. I need to meet Herc back at the station by two.”

~•~

Jogging up to the coffee shop doors was probably a bad idea. Standing in line was the most excruciating five minutes he’d ever experienced. By the time he got up to the counter, he was gritting his teeth as the pressure behind his eyes hit with such force that bright flashes outlined his vision with every blink. Even the pinching his nose trick didn’t work.

Alexander leaned against the counter and gripped it so tightly that his knuckles turned white and everyone around him had suddenly become _too damn loud_. There were people looking at him like they were itching to call an ambulance any minute.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and heard a smooth voice ask if he was alright. Alexander would’ve snorted if his head didn’t hurt so much. Did he look alright? He slowly turned around to avoid agitating his headache further. He was fully prepared to give this guy a piece of his mind.

As soon as he got a good look at the stranger, his heart stopped and all thoughts of aggression disappeared. His breath hitched and the violent pounding in his head was completely forgotten as he stared at the gorgeous man in front of him.

“Aaron.”


	3. Civility

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was originally intended for this to be the chapter that introduced the main plot, but it would have been too long. So that will be next chapter.
> 
> Stay tuned~

Alexander couldn’t think of anything else to say besides Aaron’s name. What was he supposed to say? This man obviously couldn’t stand him if their occasional exchanges over the phone were anything to go by. Attempting to strike up a casual conversation like he did with his friends at the airport would be futile. Too much had happened. Alexander’s tried his damned hardest to coax the details out of others about what exactly _did_ happen, but his interrogation would always be promptly changed to a new subject.

Whatever happened between them had to have earned him some terrible karma if fate would have him run into his ex-husband at such an inconvenient moment.

“Alexander,” Aaron responded, keeping his expression completely neutral. “The kids told me they were going to meet with you at the airport today. Admittedly, it’s a bit disorienting to have run into you so soon. I asked if you were alright. You seemed as if you were seconds from passing out a moment ago.”

Alexander took a few seconds to blink at the dexterous way he delivered his words before the sharp throb in his temple reminded him why he was there. “Oh, yes! Yes, of course, I’m alright. Just caffeine withdrawals. Airplane coffee isn’t the best. I barely finished my cup. I also didn’t drink any coffee before I left this morning because I hadn’t packed the night before and I was in such a–”

“I believe it’s your turn in line.” Aaron cut him off. His tone wasn’t cold or harsh, but simply unfeeling. This hurt Alexander worse than if he’d snapped at him.

Alexander muttered an apology to the barista as he turned back to the counter to order. She, having overheard the conversation, offered him the coffeehouse’s strongest brew.

He declined. “That’s alright. Just two lattes will do.” He paused to consider something before adding, “And four jelly-filled doughnuts. Place two in a separate bag if it isn’t too much trouble.”

As she went to prepare his order, he glanced in the direction where Aaron once stood and instead found that he’d returned to the table in the corner. The table where they always used to meet up during lunch breaks. Alexander smiled a little at that.

“Your order, sir. That’ll be $23.65.”

“Oh. Thank you!” He paid and flashed her his brightest smile before scurrying over to the corner where Aaron was sitting.

Aaron barely reacted to his presence when he glanced up from his laptop. He resumed his typing, but it was, noticeably, added concentration and vigor.

Alexander studied him, relearning every inch of the face he’d loved. The face he still loved. He noted that the skin beneath Aaron’s eyes was a shade darker than it should be and heavy with sleep-deprivation. There was a comment about it on the tip of tongue, but he thought better of it. Also, who was he to judge, anyway? Alexander was no stranger to the exhaustion that comes with hard work.

“Did you need something?” Aaron sighed when he realized Alexander wasn’t going away.

Instead of saying anything, Alexander placed a bag of doughnuts on the table in front of him. He sipped out of one of his mugs as he gauged the other man’s reaction. Aaron continued to look at him before peering into the bag. He was pleased when subtle suspicion slipped past that damn mask Aaron wore to keep his emotions in check.

Aaron looked up at him again. “Why did you buy these for me?”

“Well, I know you weren’t here for the coffee because I remember that you aren’t a big fan of drinking it in the middle of the day like me – who basically drinks coffee as a sport. You always did get a craving for sweets around one and jelly doughnuts are one of your weaknesses.”

The suspicion eased. Something flashed in Aaron’s eyes, but he averted his gaze too quickly for it to be deciphered. “You remembered all of that.”

“Of course,” Alexander replied, slightly offended. He took the seat across from him and stared directly into his beautiful dark eyes. “Aaron, I bought you those as a way to form some peace between us. Clearly, you’re still upset with me and I get that. We don’t necessarily have to be friends if that’s not what you want. I just want you to stop hating me.”

There was a long silence. It was a heavily pregnant pause and anxiety began to build up in his belly. He feared that maybe he’d pushed too hard, that maybe he should take the words back.

“I don’t hate you, Alexander. I never did.”

That was the only response Alexander was given before Aaron gathered his belongings (including the bag of doughnuts, thankfully) and headed for the door. Alexander loved and hated watching him walk away.

Philip burst through the door at the same time Aaron was exiting through it.

“Hi, Dad! Bye, Dad!” He then strutted over to Alexander. “Yo, Pops, Uncle John said if you don’t hurry up he’s gonna drive off and leave your – ooh! Jelly doughnuts! Lemme have one, please?”

~•~

Tuesday arrived with a pleasant, but atypically bright, morning sun for the beginning of February. Not that Alexander was complaining. It made rolling out of bed much easier for him.

After brushing his teeth, showering, trimming his beard and all the other steps in the ritual of early morning hygiene, Alexander spent fifteen minutes trying to decide between his best suits. It was his first day back to work at this firm and he wanted to make sure his return was memorable. He settled on a fitted olive green suit with the beige tie that his kids had gotten him for his birthday the year before. Without time to tame his unkempt hair, (not much could have been done about it anyway), he rushed out of the house, eager to get his day started.

The firm looked exactly as it did when he left. Then again, it’s unlikely that they would change an entire building that’s stood in the one spot for decades.

After a short elevator ride, Alexander hurried down the halls, rushing past all the other offices and saving reunions for later. He did make a brief stop outside of Aaron’s office to check if he had made it in. He hadn’t.

Trying not to seem too disappointed, he nodded at the assistant and made a mental note to hire his own before continuing his brisk walk.

Alexander’s plan once he arrived to his office was to unpack all the boxes he’d dropped off on Sunday – they contained various personal items like pictures of Philip and Theodosia among other things – and he guessed that would take up a majority of his first day.

However, as soon as he opened the door, he knew his day wouldn’t of that smoothly.

He glowered at the man sitting far too comfortably at his desk. “What are you doing in here?”

“Wow. Not five seconds go by and already you’re so hostile.” Thomas Jefferson smirked at him and didn’t move from his spot. “When they told me that Alexander Hamilton actually came running back to New York, I just had to come see for myself.”

How could Alexander forget about the one man in his life that he hated? There are two big differences between his rivalry with Giles in Detroit and the one he’d had with Jefferson for a decade. Firstly, Jefferson wasn’t on the opposite side of court like Giles was. Secondly, despite always being against one another, Giles and Alexander were always civil.

Putting up with Jefferson’s bullshit all day, everyday, has tossed any chance of civility into the trash.

“Alright. You came, you saw. Now please leave. Some of us have a lot of moving in to do.”

Jefferson laughed. “Oh yeah. James said he saw you and your little arms struggling with all these boxes on your way up here. I wish I was there. He almost felt bad.”

Alexander snorted. “Yet he still let me struggle.”

“ _Almost_ felt bad.”

Alexander was about to snap at him to leave again before he caught a glimpse of something shiny on Jefferson’s hand. “Oh. You got remarried while I was away? I wonder what poor, unfortunate soul have you fooled into bounding itself to yours.”

“Very funny, Hamilton. You know damn well that James and I got married.” When all he got was a blank stare, he rolled his eyes. “You were at the wedding.”

“I...was?”

“You were. It was before you left so it’s not like you shouldn’t know...” Jefferson trailed off as he suddenly remembered something. “Right. Never mind. Look, I need to be in court in an hour. See you around.” Alexander scowled at Jefferson as he left the room.

At the door, he paused and leaned against the doorframe. “By the way, Washington told me to tell you to meet with him at your earliest convenience. That’s why I was really here.”

Alexander bristled. “Then why the hell didn’t you _lead_ with that?”

Jefferson shrugged with smirk before leaving. It took all of Alexander’s willpower not to run and tackle him. He sighed.

Washington wanted to see him. It looked like his unpacking would have to wait.


	4. Negotiation

_New York City Police Department_  
New York City, New York  
Wednesday, February 7

“Alex? Hey!” Hercules greeted him as soon as he entered the station. “What are you doing here?”

“You did contact the district attorney’s office, didn’t you?” Alexander said. “I was assigned to you by Washington yesterday. Unfortunately, I had so many things to sort out beforehand, and I knew I would never have made it here on time. Hope you don’t mind.”

“No, I get it. I just didn’t think they’d send you here. You only just got back after all.”

“What can I say? I’m the best guy they’ve got. So, what’s going on?”

Hercules lead Alexander to the Lieutenant’s office where Charles Lee stiffly stood behind his desk. He scrolled through his tablet with a tight-lipped frown on his face. Hercules gave a sharp whistle to capture his attention.

Charles looked up for half of a second. “Oh, thank god. Listen, we have a guy in custody and we can’t get anything out of him with his lawyer breathing down our necks, so we need to you to help persuade him.”

“Nice to see you, too,” Alexander grumbled. “Also, can’t you at least catch me up on things before you start asking for my help.”

“You don’t know what’s going on? Don’t you watch the news?” Charles sounded surprised.

“I’ve been too busy, I guess.” Alexander shrugged as Charles handed him the tablet.

Alexander took it and scrolled through the photos, noticing how they were stored in a special folder. Some of them were screenshots of news articles, some were of areas, and the last two were of girls. They looked about the same age as his own kids. That sent a pang through his heart. When he was done scrolling, he glanced back up at the other men in the room.

“Missing or dead?”

“Missing. Hopefully, not dead yet.” Hercules answered, picking up a file and handing it Alexander. “Paisley White, seventeen. She disappeared on January twelfth. People who were close to her said that she really liked photography. She went to a shop every other week to develop her photos so I checked the security cameras. She was there at nine that night but apparently didn’t go home after. Her mother reported her missing about an hour later.”

Charles nodded. “When we first heard about it, we figured it would just be one of those runaway situations. Then we got a call about the second girl.”

“Quinn Jacobs, also seventeen.” Alexander read through the second file himself, frowning when he came across the date. “Wait, she disappeared on Friday? And the first girl disappeared in January? Those two dates are so far apart, how do you know they’re even connected?”

Hercules chuckled. “Because, lucky for us, the guy we caught was dumb enough to leave his little souvenirs out in the open. John and Peggy searched his place and found Paisley White’s digital camera and Quinn Jacobs’ ring in a box with a bunch of other junk.”

“Well, it sounds like you’ve got everything solved already.” Alexander placed the file back on Charles’ desk and prepared to take his leave. “I’ll call and arrange a court date.”

“Wait, you can’t leave.” Charles gripped his arm as he started walking out of the door. “We still need you to speak with our suspect.”

“You’re hurting my arm.” Charles awkwardly retracted his hand with an apology. Alexander raised an eyebrow at him. “Also, what do I even say to him? You have the evidence. He’s busted. Let’s take him to trial.”

“We can’t because we still don’t know where the girls are.”

“How did you not get him to tell you where the victims are?”

“That’s why we need you. To negotiate with him so that he’ll give us the information we need.” Charles turned to Hercules. “Go tell Peggy to sit in the interrogation room with Ms. Pace and her client while I talk to Alex.”

“Oh, John’s already on it. He’s been in there for the past half hour.”

“What?" Charles exclaimed. "Why would you leave him there unsupervised? You know how hostile he gets with interrogations!”

Hercules just shrugged. Charles groaned and ran his hand through his hair. “Fuck. Okay, we have, like, no time. You need to get in there now.”

Alexander clenched his jaw in anger. “Chuck, you know I how I feel about negotiating with criminals. I hate letting bastards like him get their way.”

“Charles, please. And you’re right. But this isn’t about you. It’s about those girls. Now get in there, offer him a deal, find out where he’s keeping the victims, and act happy about it.” There was a pause. “Please?”

~•~

As soon as Alexander entered the interrogation room, the attorney immediately snapped her attention towards him. She watched him with open disdain as he took his seat next to John.

The suspect was visibly ashen, his hands clasped tightly together on the table as he glared at his shoes. His lawyer sitting next to him obviously was feeling differently about the situation. Her facial features were hardened and her posture practically screamed ‘no-nonsense’.

As for John, his arms were folded on the table and he was leaning across it to intimidate the young man with his proximity. John wasn’t a big man, but the hard stares he directed at people did enough to convey his hostile intentions. Alexander began to feel nostalgic again as he thought back to all the fist fights those looks started in college.

Honestly, Alexander had no idea why his husband was so worried. John was being on his best behavior. However, that might not have been the case if Alexander had taken a little bit longer to get there.

It was much too quiet in there. Alexander needed to change that.

“Good morning, everyone.” His cheery tone was loud and carried all over the small room. The suspect flinched at the sudden noise and John paused in their one-sided staring contest to side-eye him.

Alexander was not deterred, however, and continued. “I hope I’m not interrupting what looks like such fun times in here.” He ignored John’s mumbling underneath his breath and turned to shake hands with the attorney. “Alexander Hamilton. I’m the A.D.A that’s been assigned to this case.”

She returned the handshake with little to no enthusiasm. “Diana Pace. I’m here to represent Mr. Reeves as he fights against these false charges.”

“And how do you know the charges are false?”

Pace scoffed. “Seriously, though, Mr. Hamilton? Look at this young man. Does he look like an abductor to you?”

Alexander did spare a glance at the man next to her just to humor her. He saw nothing, but a potential threat to one of his own. “I’ve learned not to be fooled by appearances, Ms. Pace.”

“Would you please tell your detective to back off?” Reeves hissed. He’d finally had enough of John’s intense staredown it seemed. “I didn’t do anything.”

John's lip curled with disgust and he got even closer to his face. “If you’re as innocent as you claim, then why did you run when we came to pick you up?”

“So if three guys kick down your door in the middle of the afternoon, you're not going be a little skittish?”

“Firstly, one of those guys was a girl,” Alexander intervened. “Secondly, I believe your reason for being skittish was something else entirely. One of the other detectives told me that Paisley White’s camera was found in your apartment along with Quinn Jacobs’ ring.”

Reeves blanched and began to stutter in bewilderment. Pace gently soothes him with a hand on his arm. “You don’t have to say anything.”

“Actually, he does if he wants the deal I’m offering him.”

She narrowed her eyes at Alexander. “What deal?”

“If this goes to trial – no. When this goes to trial, I could have some strings pulled and get him reduced jail time. However, there’s a catch.”

“There always is with you people.” Pace rolled her eyes. “What do you want from us?”

Alexander was about to answer when John beat him to it. “Where’d you put the girls, kid?”

Reeves looked genuinely baffled. “What?”

“You heard me. Where did you take them, are they hurt, and what the hell was going through your head when you decided to snatch them up in the first place?” John was clearly pissed now.

“Excuse me, Mr. Hamilton, but will you control your detective? I don’t appreciate him upsetting my client.” Pace snapped at Alexander.

“Detective Laurens is a grown man. I don’t control his actions.” Alexander did shoot him a quick look to tell him to cool down, though. “Plus, your client hasn’t answered any of the questions presented to him.”

She looked irritated for a moment, but she still turned to Reeves and spoke in the same tone one might use with a frightened animal. “It’s alright, hon. Just tell them what you know.”

“I would if I could. Mr. Hamilton, I swear I don’t know anything.” Reeves replied quietly.

“Bullshit.”

“I don’t.” He scowled at John as he added a little more strength to his voice. “If you don’t believe me, then fine. I can’t do anything about that. Take me to court if you want. I’m not worried. I didn’t do anything wrong and I’m not talking to you anymore.”

He folded his arms across his chest and turned his scowl back to his shoes like a perpetual child. It was at this point that Pace said, “I believe that is all you’re getting out of him for now. Have a nice day, gentlemen.”

As soon as Alexander and John were out in the hall, Charles and Hercules were waiting by the interrogation window with similar looks of dissatisfaction.

“Well, that could have gone better.” Charles deadpanned

“You know he’s lying, right?” John said to him. “I don’t buy that confused bullshit for a minute. The evidence was in his apartment. That’s not much, but it’s enough to lock his ass up.”

“No. We’re not taking this to trial yet,” Hercules said firmly. The other three men looked at him as if he’d grown a second head. “We still don’t know where Paisley and Quinn are. Believe me, no one wants to put away a guy like him more than I do, but if we do it now we may never find them. Also, what if, God forbid, they’re badly hurt? We can’t waste too much time. Just keep him detained until we know more.”

They continued to stare at him for a moment. Then Charles spoke, “He's right. Finding them is our number one priority. Hercules, could you escort Reeves back to his cell?”

“I’ll do it.” John winced when his suggestion was negated with a dark side eye from Charles. He rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll just go back to my stupid desk. But it’s not like I punched anyone this time.”


	5. Gifts & Letters

_Washington Law Firm_  
Manhattan, New York  
Friday, February 16

The days that followed Alexander’s interrogation with Reeves flew by like a whirlwind. True to his word, the young man was adamant about not giving them any additional information. His defiance only furthered John’s belief in thinking that he’s covering something up.

In any other circumstance, his resistance wouldn’t be that much of an issue, but they needed his cooperation to locate Paisley and Quinn. Whatever information he could give them was essential.

The investigation had proved to be very taxing on everyone directly involved. Alexander – although he hadn’t done nearly as much running around as the detectives have – had been in several places over the past week. From getting warrants for searches, to spending nights in his office reading through his copies of the files and making notes for court, Alexander had barely had any time to actually be in his new apartment. It wasn’t even fully furnished yet.

The best thing that’d actually happened to him these past couple of days was hiring his new assistant. Amy, the young woman he’d met in Detroit, came to him as he was getting lunch in a deli near his office. She told him about how she came to live with a cousin and start a new life away from home for a while. She happily accepted his offer to hire her and Alexander was glad for it. He adored her.

For a woman who had recently endured loss, she was a surprisingly diligent worker. In addition to her desk duties, she brought lunches for him when he was too busy to leave his office, provided a good ear on those frequent occasions he wanted to grumble about Jefferson, and, most importantly, she always had his coffee ready for him when he needed a refresher.

Speaking of refreshers, this late night exchange with Charles was certainly making him crave a little caffeine. He assumed his usual hunched over position at his desk. He thumped his pencil against his notebook, waiting for Charles give him some information to write down.

“Chuck – fine, Charles, listen to me. I get that you guys are really tense, but you need to calm down. Also, your voice is starting to do that squeaky thing when you get stressed and I don’t understand that language.” He took a moment to allow the man on the other line to get a hold of himself. “Now, in a normal voice, tell me what you did learn.”

“Well. The victims’ things finally came back from the forensics lab today. The tests showed that the fingerprints on them belonged to the girls, obviously. But Reeves’ fingerprints didn’t show.”

“Okay.” Alexander couldn’t add that to his notes. It wouldn’t do him any good. “So do you think he’s telling the truth?”

“I really have no idea anymore.” Charles sighed heavily. “Reeves seemed sincere to me. Then again, the kid could just be a fantastic actor.”

“That could be what we’re working with. We need a professional. Someone who can read people.” Alexander started jotting down names and numbers. “I’m making a list of psychologists in the area who understand human minds far better than we do. I’ll have my assistant drop the list off Monday morning. I’ll have at least thirty names for you to choose from. I want you to research each of them thoroughly before making a definite decision.”

“So basically more paperwork? Joy.”

Alexander ignored the sarcastic mutter and continued on with the task at hand.

There was a quiet knock at his door. It was most likely Amy stepping in to tell him that she was going home for the night. He distractedly called for her to come in as he continued to write.

She stepped in and closed the door behind her. “Mr. Hamilton, I’m headed out. Before I go, though, you should know that someone left something for you on my desk.”

Alexander stopped his erratic scribbling to squint at the time displayed on his computer monitor. The small digital numbers read seven minutes after eight. “Whoever it’s from, I’m too busy to deal with it now. Just leave it on your desk for me and I’ll get to it later.”

“It’s from Mr. Burr, sir.”

Alexander snapped his head up so quickly that it was a little painful. But didn’t care because...Aaron left something for him? Why didn’t come in and speak before leaving?

Alexander almost couldn’t believe it. He’d not caught Aaron in a free moment since that reunion at the coffeehouse. He kept a close watch on Aaron’s work routine so that he could have situations set up to “coincidentally” run into him and engage him in a much longer conversation. All of it was in vain as there was always something that stole Aaron’s attention away. There was always court or a meeting or having to deal with something at the school. Also, with Alexander constantly being in back and forth with the station about their progress on the missing girls’ whereabouts, it wasn’t as if he had time to stop and socialize either.

He’d honestly begun to think that Aaron was actively trying to avoid him. Now, however, he knows that’s obviously not the case. It seemed his casual stalking had not been fruitless after all.

“Charles, I’ll need to call you back.”

“What? But-“

Alexander hung up and felt only slightly like an asshole about it. The feeling vanished when he looked up again. Amy carried in a box that had been delicately wrapped with a note taped to the side. Alexander lunged for the box but his hands were slapped away.

“Read the note first.” Amy scolded as she tore the note off and handed it to him. He glared at her for several seconds before she said, “It’s only polite.”

Alexander couldn’t care less about politeness, he just wanted to see what Aaron got him, damn it. But from the way Amy was cradling the box to her chest, trying to wrench it away from her might result in getting his ass kicked. She was slightly taller than him, after all. Who wasn’t taller than him?

“Fine.” He huffed and took the note from her, reading it to himself:

_Dear Alexander,_

_It was brought to my attention that I had not properly thanked you for the treats you bought for me that day at the coffeehouse. I wished to speak with you personally, but our schedules would not allow it. Instead, I’ve returned the sentiment._

_Enjoy your gift,  
A. Burr_

Once he was finished, he grinned triumphantly to himself. His jelly doughnut idea was pure genius. Amy finally gave him the box when she saw that he was finished reading. Alexander tore the paper off with the enthusiasm of a child on Christmas morning.

He gaped when he saw what was underneath. It was a coffee maker but not just any coffee maker. It was the best, most expensive one that was sold in stores. And it came with some of the best coffee brands.

Did Aaron actually one-up him in gift giving?

Amy whistled. “Wow. That’s fancy. What are gonna give him back?”

Alexander blinked. “Er, I already gave him something. That’s why he bought this. He was ‘returning the sentiment’.”

“Still, I think you should get him something back. Or at least write him back. He sounds so diplomatic and charming.” She told him, dreamily reading over the note that Alexander placed on the desk.

Alexander hummed in thought. That wasn’t a bad idea. Writing was one of his best skills – the other was being brilliant, of course.

Yes. Alexander would write back to Aaron. And he planned to be the most charming son of a bitch of all time.

~•~

 _Manhattan Shopping District_  
Manhattan, New York  
Saturday, February 17

The following afternoon, Alexander had been forced against his will to leave work to be dragged to the mall. He’d made the tragic mistake of allowing Lafayette to see his place in its unfinished state. After an overly dramatic reaction, the Frenchman almost immediately whisked Alexander away to go shopping.

Lafayette, ever the mother hen, took it upon himself to assist Alexander in choosing his home furnishings. Actually, “assist” might be a stretch. Lafayette fundamentally acted as a dictator to Alexander’s every decision, insisting that he knew what was best.

The only satisfaction he got out of it all was that Lafayette seemed to be getting equally as exhausted from his sons’ determination to add their input every other second and shooed them to another store.

“But, Papa, we wanna stay with you,” Georges whined. It reminded Alexander of when he was small and he would cling to his fathers’ legs when they tried to drop him off for a sleepover with Philip. “The mall is boring when you have no friends with you.”

William added, “Or money.”

“Or money.” Geo agreed with a nod.

Lafayette sighed and reached into his pocket to fish out his wallet. “This is all I am giving you.” They beamed when he handed them each some cash. “Stay together and behave yourselves. _Oui_?”

“ _Oui_.” They replied automatically and dashed off.

Alexander snorted a laugh as he was lead over to the paints. “You do realize that money you gave them is just going towards junk food and video games, right?”

Lafayette’s answering hum told him that he was aware. “As long as they are busy. Now, for the living room. Perhaps something neutral? Beige, maybe? Yes. I believe more vibrant tones are to be saved for your kitchen and bathroom.”

Alexander groaned and regretted his life. Even though it seemed like he was being asked questions, Lafayette was really talking to himself. “Laf, no one wants to stare at a bright ass wall when they’re trying to eat and use the toilet.”

“I hope you will not be doing both of those things at the same time.”

Alexander rolled his eyes. “Hey, can we just take a break for awhile? I actually want to talk to you about something now that we’re alone.” Lafayette gestured for him to continue. “Alright. So as you and my other associates may know, I’ve been inconvenienced lately. I have a large gap in my memories from the year before I left to live in Michigan. Obviously, something happened during that time and I desperately need to know what.”

“Not this again...”

“Relax. I’m not questioning you anymore.” Alexander reassured him. “I was giving you an introduction to my idea. So I’ve been doing research. Apparently, there are theories floating around about lost memories. What if they’re not exactly lost, but just not accessible? Meaning that if I happened to come across the right trigger, I’d remember everything!”

Lafayette went back to choosing between the different colors of paint. He selected a charcoal grey and showed it to Alexander. “What about this one for your bathroom?”

“No, I hate grey. It’s dreary.”

“Says the man who grumbled about bright colors a minute ago.”

“Are you listening to me?”

Lafayette sighed. “Yes, _mon ami_ , but I can not understand why you are so determined. Why will you not just leave the past where it lies?”

It was because it gave Alexander unrest. In Detroit, people would ask him questions about his life that any other man would have answers to. Why did he get divorced? Why did he transfer jobs? Why did he leave his city, his friends, his family?

Most importantly, what caused him to forget a whole year? It was clearly temporary, whatever it was as he remembered all four years afterward.

He was about to respond to Lafayette’s question when his phone suddenly began to ring. He frowned when he saw that it was from the station.

“Sorry, Laf, I really need to answer this.”

The other man looked at him in understanding. “I will be near the sofas when you need me.”

Alexander nodded and answered the call. “Hello?”

“Hey, Alex.” It was John. “So you know that kid we’ve got in custody for the kidnapping?”

“Yeah.”

“Uh. We don’t think he’s working alone.” John said slowly.

Alexander paused. “Why do you say that? The fingerprints?”

“Yep. And because another girl just went missing last night.”


	6. Framed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh. Everyone I cannot tell you how sorry I am for the lateness of this chapter. Almost a whole month? I’m the worst! (just kidding). 
> 
> Seriously though, enjoy the chapter and read please the end notes.

_New York City Police Department_  
New York City, New York   
Saturday, February 17

To be completely honest, a small part of Alexander really didn’t want to have to go down to the station that night. The darkness was rapidly beginning to overcome the sky as his shopping trip ended sooner than he’d anticipated (thank god). He really just wanted to go home and curl up with a hot mug.

However, the disappearance of a sixteen-year-old girl had been leaked to news media. The bigger part of Alexander knew that his friends would be overwhelmed by the notoriety their case had gotten and he inevitably found that his legs have carried him downtown.

When he entered the precinct, he expected to be greeted with the image of the Lieutenant tearing his hair out at the roots. Instead, there were only two detectives present. Hercules sat at his desk with John and Peggy Schuyler as they discussed something on the computer screen.

Alexander realized that it was actually a recent news article that they were looking at. Once he’d gotten very close to them, they noticed his presence and turned to face him. “Hi, guys. Sorry for being so late.”

Hercules dismissed his apology with a wave and told him that it was fine. John just shrugged, looking too exhausted to even care if Alexander had shown up at all that day.

Still, though, Peggy didn’t seem satisfied and gave Alexander an annoyed look. “You’re tardiness is fine with me. What I’m upset about is that you’ve been back in town for two weeks and this is the first time I’m seeing you.”

Alexander rolled his eyes. It was late at night and three girls were missing. Was she really talking about this now? “Seriously, Peggy? You’ve been busy and I’ve been busy, there wasn’t any time to catch up with you.”

She huffed. “Nice try. Eliza told me you stopped by the hospital a few days ago to see her and Angelica said she saw you in the mall this afternoon. Meanwhile, I don’t even get a pass along message!”

Alexander didn’t have anything to say to those things because they were true. So instead he tried to flip the conversation. “Well, you didn’t come to see me when got off my flight!”

“Wow. That is such a weak ass excuse–”

“Guys, that’s enough.” Hercules interrupted them. “It’s late, I want to go home, and arguing is going to make our job harder than it needs to be.”

“I’m so tired I can’t feel my arms,” John mumbled from his slumped position on Hercules’ arm. Hercules nudged him off only for John to flop onto the desk instead. Alexander winced in pity.

Looking towards the office that is normally inhabited by the Lieutenant, he remembered that Charles wasn’t around when he’d arrived. That was weird. Why were the others still working but he was nowhere to be found?

John noticed him looking and said, “The reporters and families of the victims have been showing up nonstop today wondering what we were doing about the situation. Charles was close to having a brain aneurysm, so I dropped off at home.” He then grinned up towards Peggy. “Luckily, we have a smart girl on the squad. Whatever she slipped in his water was strong enough to keep him rested through the night.”

There was a beat of silence. Alexander knew he should ignore whatever the hell he just heard, but it was killing him. “Pegs, you slipped a drug in your coworker’s water...”

“It wasn’t anything illegal if that’s what you’re getting at.” She raised an eyebrow at him.

Alexander chuckled for a second. “Just saying.” He immediately became serious again. “Moving on. Have you put together any files yet?”

Hercules nodded and pointed at the monitor. “The most that we found out, though, was what’s already been leaked to media. Her name is Bianca Carmichael and she’s sixteen. We were planning to do a more thorough job on Monday. We all need a day off.”

Alexander nodded took a seat on the edge of the desk. “Sure. So I take it you haven’t had time to talk to Reeves about his partner yet?”

John snorted and rolled his eyes. “For what? We’ll just get the same results as before. Plus, his haughty attorney is just gonna intercept us anyway.”

“Have you all actually tried a different tactic?”

Peggy folded her arms over her chest and looked towards them expectedly. John and Hercules both avoided looking her way.

Hercules scratched the back of his head. “Well, uh. Peggy had an idea, but the rest of us think it’s ridiculous.”

John shook his head. “No, Herc. Just say dumb. That’s what we really think about it.”

The look she replied with was icy and blade-sharp. John just gave her challenging stare in return. It seemed that they’ve all had arguments about her idea on numerous occasions.

By the looks of things, there was about to be another argument so Alexander decided to verbally insert himself into the conversation. Not to interrupt the conflict, but to understand the situation from both standpoints.

“Is that so? Well, tell me, Peggy. What exactly was your idea?”

She broke her gaze away from the other two and turned to Alexander. “It’s actually a great idea. After the first interrogation ended badly, I suggested that we try talking to him in a more delicate way. If we do that he might trust us and be more inclined to open up without putting Pace on our asses. And it doesn’t even violate his Miranda rights. Right?”

They all looked at him, awaiting his verdict. Alexander took his time pretending to think it over. He even stroked his chin to give him the added pensive look. But he already had his answer, though. It really did sound like an amazing idea. Why did they not tell him about it before? Perhaps it was because of how difficult it would be to pull off.

“She’s right.” Peggy beamed at him triumphantly. “It’s not a violation. But only if you can specifically get him to say that he no longer wants his lawyer.”

“Never gonna happen.” John shook his head. “Reeves is so damn jittery and he’s never gonna trust us now. He’s already been questioned by all of us.”

“But not by me,” Peggy told him in a sing-song voice. Then she shrugged, “Nobody ever asked me to do it. I can be very sweet when I want to be, but I never have a purpose for using that persona at work.”

It took a few more minutes of discussion before they everyone ultimately agreed that Peggy’s way was the best way.

~•~

Gabriel Reeves. It never occurred to Alexander that he never actually knew the suspect’s full name until now. The only reason he found out was because of Peggy. After introducing herself (Reeves thankfully didn’t recognize her as one of the detectives to arrest him at his apartment), Peggy began a light conversation with Reeves to get him to open up to her.

And he did, in fact, open up to her almost immediately.

She wasn’t lying when she claimed to able to adapt a kind persona whenever she deemed it convenient. She spoke to Reeves in a soft voice. The fact that Reeves was actually looking Peggy in the eyes instead of down at his feet told Alexander that everything was going according to plan.

The entire situation was still tense and tedious. Alexander was on his third cup of coffee from the break room and was wearing a hole into the floor with his pacing. Meanwhile, his friends were not in as good shape as he was. Peggy seemed the be the only one of the three detectives that seemed to be holding up well with no sleep.

Alexander was thankful for that. It made her performance much more efficient.

Forty-six minutes later, and Peggy was still talking to him about unnecessary topics. Reeves had just finished mumbling to her about his childhood dog.

“Hey, Gabriel. How old did you say you were? Twenty?” At his nod, she continued, “You are so young, and so timid, too. Like a little kitten.”

Reeves smiled at that. “That’s what my ex used to call me.”

“Kitten?” When he nodded, Peggy cooed. She actually cooed at him. And it was a genuine reaction.

All three men on the other side of the window facepalmed.

John groaned and moved to knock on the glass. “That’s it. She’s not getting anywhere. I’m pulling her out.”

Alexander threw his arm out to hold him back. “Give her a little bit longer.”

His best friend’s glower was not nearly as effective when it was through heavy eyelids. “Bro, it’s ten minutes past midnight! Not all of us can just say ‘fuck sleep’ go without it for weeks at a time like you, Alexander.”

“I’m sorry, but John’s right. We could just try this again on Monday.” Hercules said from his propped position on the wall.

Alexander didn’t want to wait until Monday. They were so close now. If they put it off for two days, Reeves might not be so willing to talk again.

“Just a little longer, guys. Please?”

John looked back and forth between Alexander’s pleading look and the window for a few seconds. Thankfully, he decided to step back to his previous position, muttering that Peggy had twenty minutes.

Back inside the room, Peggy was listening politely as Reeves went on about his recent breakup.

“I wasn’t really that surprised that it didn’t work out,” Reeves told her. “I mean, it wasn’t the best relationship. We had horrible fights all the time, but I still felt cared for. That was until I got a text one day that said there was something in my apartment for me and that he hopes I have a nice life.

“So I get home and there’s a box of all my junk that’d I left at his place during the year we were together. I was too upset to go through it at the time so I never did. Now I wish I had.”

Alexander watched as realization dawned over Peggy’s face. “You mean the box of junk that the evidence was found in...”

Alexander could hear John and Hercules whispering to each other behind him as they began to grasp the situation, as well. Alexander silently encouraged her to keep going.

Reeves suddenly uncomfortable because he’d just realized what he’d let slip. Peggy laid a pacifying hand on the arm he had rested on the table. “It’s okay, Gabriel. I understand that breakups are hard. God, I can’t tell you how many guys never stuck around because they could except that I was ace. But, hey, you never told me your guy’s name.”

Peggy discreetly cast a glance over to the window.

Unfortunately, Reeves had seen the glance. A dark, self-loathing expression contorted his features. The comfortable demeanor that Peggy worked so hard draw out of him faded away as he ripped his arm from her grasp and shrunk back into his chair. “Oh. I see what you’re doing now.”

Alexander sucked in a sharp breath. Damn, he figured her out.

Peggy tilted her head, innocently. “What am I doing?”

“You’re only being nice to me because you’re trying to trick me into willingly giving up information.” He seemed hurt. Betrayed, even. “Well, forget it. I’m not saying a thing without Ms. Pace here. I’m sorry you had to waste your time, Ms. Schuyler, but there’s really nothing else to talk about.”

Alexander felt disappointment wash over him. Reeves was so close to giving them something and now it was all a waste.

As upset as he was about the plan going awry, Alexander didn’t understand why Peggy didn’t seem at all deterred by Reeves statement. Instead, she nodded as if she understood and said, “Alright. That’s your decision.”

Then Peggy did something did unexpected.

She stood up and grabbed the back of her chair, dragging it with her to Reeves side of the table. She sat back down beside him and wrapped him up in a hug. Reeves became visibly tense, but she didn’t let go.

Alexander was confused. What the hell was she doing?

After several seconds, Peggy slackened the hug but didn’t fully pull back. “This may not mean much to you, but I believe you’re innocent, Gabriel.”

Gabriel looked taken aback. “You..do? You’re not just saying that?”

“No, I’m serious. I really believe you.” She finally broke away and stood up. Reeves blinked at the abrupt loss of contact. “Though, I doubt the others will listen to me if I try to tell them. The team of men I work with are so thick headed.”

“But you believe me?” When she hummed an affirmation, he pressed. “Can’t you convince them to let me go?”

“I’m sorry, Gabriel, but I need facts and I can’t get them from you now. You asked for your lawyer.” She strolled over to the door but paused with her hand on the knob. “With no proof, you have to go to trial. Mr. Hamilton is an old friend of mine, and I know for a fact he hardly loses a case.”

Alexander felt a swell of pride in his chest at the indirect praise. It was quite an ego boost. Although, he did hear snickering behind him from the other two detectives. But he didn’t mind being the target of teasing by his friends right now, he kept his focus on Reeves. He had completely frozen in his seat, terrified. Of course, he was. No young man his age wanted to spend time in prison. Even though a kidnapping charge won’t really give more than a year, it will still destroy his record. He’d never live down the reputation.

They had him right where they wanted him.

A few tense moments later, Reeves finally found his voice again. “So...if I say I don’t want my lawyer anymore, then will you stay and talk to me? Let me explain myself?”

Peggy feigned a considering expression. “I thought there was nothing else to talk about.”

“Please, Ms. Schuyler. You’re the only one besides Ms. Pace who actually listens to me...” Reeves spoke in a small, defeated voice. Then he sighed. “Okay, I don’t need her anymore. I’m ready to tell the truth, but only to you. I don’t want them to be a part of this.”

Peggy grinned at him and nodded at his request. She walked up to the window and winked at the three men on the other side, patting her left breast to remind them that the hidden device was still there and the conversation will be recorded for later use. Then she switched off the mic and pulled the blinds.

They could no longer see nor hear what went on inside between Reeves and Peggy, but that was okay. Alexander trusted her to get what they needed. After all, she brought them this far.

~•~

It turns out that whatever Reeves had to say to Peggy was very important. It was very nearly another hour before they finally came out, Peggy’s arm around his shoulder as he walked with his gaze cast to the floor. She had a serious look on her face but they would have to wait until she had escorted him all the way back to his cell before they discussed it. While waiting for her, they transported themselves to back to the squad room.

Peggy didn’t even have a chance to probably make into the room before Alexander ambushed her with a thousand questions.

She sighed. “You guys, we had this all wrong.”

Alexander furrowed his eyebrows together. “What do you mean? You still didn’t tell me what he said.”

Instead of answering, Peggy unbuttoned her blouse just enough to take out the recording device. Hercules handed her a cable to plug into Charles’ tablet so they can listen to the audio.

They all remained quiet as they listened to Reeves’ confession. Reeves pretty much claimed that he had no idea that the evidence was in the box all along. It was when he was arrested an interrogated about the following day that he was able to put the pieces together, that he knew the guy had framed him.

Hearing this, Peggy pressed him for a name. Even though Alexander was only able to hear Reeves voice at the moment, he knew the kid enough to tell that he was drawing up again. He started rambling on about how he swore his ex was a good person and that there was an explanation for it all.

Even though she still remained kind and understanding with Reeves, Peggy was hearing none of it. It took more coaxing, but Reeves eventually gave her a name.

Edward King.

“Edward King is the ex that framed him? As in son of George King, the owner of one of the two biggest law firms in Manhattan? As in my boss’s nemesis?”

Alexander knew he must have sounded hysterical to everyone by this point, but, quite frankly, he couldn’t care less. It didn’t seem that the son of one of the most distinguished families in the city would be involved in a kidnapping case. Now things were going to get messy.

There was a long moment where no one knew what to say. Then John drily replied, “Seems like it, I guess.”

Alexander cursed and rubbed his face. At this point, he half-wished someone would hand him a cup of something someone slipped into his drink.

“I think it’s on this note that we all go home and worry about this another day.”

”Huh? Herc-”

Hercules cut him off. “No, Alex. It’s been a long day, we’re exhausted. Check back in with us on Monday, okay? Take the recording to the district attorney and ask him what he thinks of all of this.” He clapped Alexander on the shoulder and handed him the tablet, which he accepted with a pout. “Don’t look like that. At least we got more done today than what was done in the past week.”

“Thanks to me!” Peggy beamed with pride. “Maybe you boys should listen to me more often.”

“Yeah, right. I’m not making that promise, Pegs. But, yay, you did it!” John cheered in the middle of a yawn. “Let’s fucking go, already. I just want to curl up next to Charles and sleep for the next twelve hours. He has no idea how damn lucky he got this time around.”

They all started towards the front doors and Alexander didn’t argue with them because Hercules was had a point. The detectives needed a break after the hectic schedule they’d been forced to handle. Besides, it was a good idea to get Washington’s thoughts on the situation before Alexander dove deeper into the case and they pursued the son of the enemy. Not wise.

However, those were another day’s concerns. Right now he needed to steal a ride with his friends because he’d just remembered he had no other transportation. He did have a car, but it was still in the garage...

At his ex-husband’s house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys!
> 
> Okay so I have some things to address about this chapter because I didn’t elaborate:
> 
> 1.) Peggy mentions that Alexander visits Eliza in the hospital. That is because she works there as a nurse. Not because she’s in the hospital.
> 
> 2.) The drug that Peggy slips into Charles’ water was an homemade nerve relaxer that dissolves in liquids. She’s not just out here giving people dangerous drugs.
> 
> 3.) This is actually something that will be more apparent two chapters from now, but Reeves’ relationship with Edward King was emotionally abusive.
> 
> 4.) Historically, Edward was the fourth son of King George III and fifth child of like fifteen (there’s not that many mini KG’s running around in this story, though)
> 
> Okay, that’s all for now! <3


	7. Playing It Safe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 2019, everyone ~
> 
> Sorry this chapter took so long, but here it is!

_District Attorney’s Office_

Manhattan New York

Sunday, February 17

 

Upon arrival that morning, the secretary informed him that he would have to wait until Washington was finished with his current meeting before he could enter. This meant that Alexander had to sit quietly in the waiting area until it was his turn. He took a seat in one of the chairs and admired the room for a bit.

The outer office was spacious and very beautifully decorated with a lot of modern design. The decorators must have had their own personal touches added because, even though the paintings and sculptures were fascinating, Alexander never knew George Washington to be a fan of abstract art. Even the furniture was incredible. The chair that Alexander sat in was made of soft, leathery material and was immensely comfortable. He bounced in it for a few moments until the secretary threw him a look from where she worked at her desk.

After about five more minutes of sheer boredom, the door to the Washington’s office finally opened. Alexander immediately sprang into his feet and started for the door. One of his colleagues stepped out and he nodded at him before going in.

Washington, who was standing near the door to see the other guy out, greeting Alexander with a smile and handshake. “I didn’t expect to see you today, Alex. Have a seat. Coffee?”

“Yes, please. I was in a rush this morning.” Alexander went to take a seat in the chair in front of the desk. It wasn’t as comfy as the one outside. When Washington returned to him with his coffee, he took a sip and instantly felt his muscles relax. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Washington made himself a cup and moved to take his own seat. “How have things been for you? Have you decorated your new place yet?” When Alexander shook his head, Washington said, “Well, maybe once this case is over, you’ll have more free time.” 

“I doubt that I’ll actually use it,” Alexander mumbled around his cup 

“Now. I assume you’ve gotten further in the investigation, otherwise you wouldn’t waste time being here. Do you need help arranging a court date?”

Alexander took a few more gulps of his beverage. He was now running at full potential and ready to productively have this discussion. “Actually, that’s the thing. I mean, we have gotten further. That’s true. Still, we can’t pursue the issue anymore for right now. You see, there’s this problem – well, actually, it’s more like a hindrance – that we’ve just learned about and it concerns you. Not just you specifically, but the firm as well.”

Washington hummed and folded his arms. “Well, things have been going too well around here lately. Drama was inevitable, I think. Tell me what you learned.” 

“I’ll let you listen instead.” Alexander bent down to where his briefcase rested at his feet to retrieve the tablet. Once he has it, he went to the audio and handed the tablet over. “Reeves finally gave us a clear confession last night, or rather early this morning. As it turns out, he isn’t directly involved with the kidnappings. Still, it will shock you to know who is.” 

They were both silent while Alexander watched Washington listen to the recording. Once it was done, his boss frowned for several moments, probably analyzing what he’d heard. Then he said, “If Edward King goes to trial and one of _my_ prosecutors is handling the case, his father is going to raise hell with our firm.” 

Alexander nodded. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.” 

“King’s always looking for an excuse to start trouble. Now we’re just handing him one. I have a question, though. How did you finally get Reeves to open up about what he knew? I thought he was a tough one to crack.”

Alexander rolled his eyes. “Sir, there’s nothing tough about that kid. Still, to answer your question, it was Detective Schuyler’s doing. She eventually broke him down without him knowing that he was being recorded the entire time. I know, I know. It seems like a coerced confession; however, he told her himself that he wished to dismiss his attorney, so it wasn’t a violation.”

“Loopholes. How lawyerly of you.” Washington chuckled and handed him back the tablet. “True, but you know it still can’t be used in court.”

“I know and we won’t have to use it. Once we get Edward’s DNA and match it to the fingerprints on the items found in the box, that’ll be all the evidence we need.” Alexander told him with confidence. Then he leaned forward and onto the desk. “If you want me to go through with this, I will put all of my effort into this case, sir. I will make damn sure that the little prince will be put away and that the victims are returned to their families. What do you say?”

Washington sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Alex, you can’t exactly stop pursuing a kidnapping case just because I think it’s a bad idea. I mean, I can feel all the headaches it’s going to cause me down the line, but that’s unimportant. What’s important is making sure those girls are sent back home safely. And you’re the guy to make sure that happens, right?”

“Obviously,” was Alexander’s immediate and self-assured reply.

“Obviously.” Washington agreed with a smile. “All I ask is that you try to keep the media from getting too involved. It really wouldn’t help matters to have to deal with the public, too. Thank you for telling me about this.”

“Of course, sir.” Alexander stood up and prepared to take his leave. “I’ll come see you again if something else comes up.” At the door, he paused. Then turned around and said, “Is it okay if I take one of those waiting room chairs home with me?”

“Only if you pay me $1500 for it right now.” The older man countered. Alexander hesitated and Washington raised an eyebrow. “Thought so. Have a nice day, Alex.”

Alexander will later deny that he was eyeballing the chairs on his way back out of the office.

~•~

_Washington Law Firm_

Manhattan, New York

Later that Night

 

Back in his office that night, Alexander went over his notes and tried to brainstorm his own ideas of what would be the best and most legal way to go after Edward. He seems like a pretty smart kid if he was intuitive enough to plant incriminating evidence in a box of junk and disguise it as a breakup. He had to suspect that they were onto him by now.

They were going to have to lure him out somehow without causing a scene. More than likely, it would have to be with the help of Reeves’ because it’s very possible that he kept his contact information. If they could convince Reeves’ to schedule a private meeting with Edward, they’d have him right where they wanted him. Alexander will have to let Peggy do the persuading again, but the plan seemed efficient enough.

Feeling the need for a quick caffeine jolt, Alexander reached for his coffee sitting at the edge of the desk. When his fingers did not completely wrap around the handle, the mug slid off the desk and clattered loudly onto the wooden floor.

~•~

  _Anger. That’s all he could feel at that moment. He had no idea why he was so angry, he just was. It was frustrating how he couldn’t keep in control of his own emotions anymore._

_His surroundings were oddly distorted, but he knew he was in his old house. Someone was speaking behind him. They were trying to soothe him as he paced back and forth. One hand was gripped a coffee mug, while the other gripped his own hair. He shook his head, not wanting to hear any of it. Everything was too loud. Much too loud._

_“Just stop!” He had no idea who he was shouting at, himself or the person behind him. He just knew_ something _had to be quiet and he got his wish. There were several full seconds of awful silence._

_“Alexander…”_

_The adrenaline that caused the blood to pump loudly in his ear at the time seemed to have muffled all other sounds, but he could hear the whisper of his name loud and clear. It was said so despairingly that, even in whatever unrecognizable state he was in, it broke his heart._

_He realized why the voice was so upset when he looked down. He felt his face go white as he slowly lifted his trembling hand from the counter and cradled it with the uninjured one. Blood dripped from his wrist and onto the counter where the mug he was carrying laid in pieces._

~•~

Amy came rushing into the room after hearing the noise. “Mr. Hamilton, are you alright?”

Alexander blinked rapidly as he felt himself being brought back into reality. He pressed the heel of his hand to his temple to calm the sudden pounding against his skull. Well, that was strange. Was that some sort of vision or something?

Amy called his name again. Alexander glanced up at her and forced a grin onto his face. “I’m fine. I dropped my mug.” He gestured to the remains of his shattered mug on the ground, as well as the spilled coffee. “Clumsy fingers, y’know. I’ll clean it up myself, so don’t worry.”

“Oh, okay. Well, I’m heading out for night, unless there’s anything else you need from me?”

Alexander shook his head and turned his back to her, kneeling down to the floor to carefully scoop up the shards of glass. He heard her faintly mutter a quick goodnight before closing the door to the office back again.

He continued to gather up the pieces of his destroyed mug in contemplative silence. He paused when he noticed a faint marking on his hand. It was a curved scarring that ran from the center of his palm to his wrist. Had that always been there? It looked as if it had once been a deep incision caused by something sharp, like broken glass.

Alexander was suddenly reminded of the vision he’d just had. Was it really a vision? He saw his own hand smash a mug against a counter. He felt the pain as he watched the blood trickle from his wound and down his arm. It felt much too real, as if he was actually _there_.

Could that have really been…a memory?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have an obsession with ellipses apparently...
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Stay tuned for more~

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, I thought I should let you all know why I'm not going to be responding to any comments. I'm mostly just the editor for this story, Rose_Blue99 is doing most of the actual writing. Because of this, I feel it's in their right to reply to all the comments. Especially since it's their first story. I know how wonderful it is when you receive a comment. I've got 29 other stories that receive comments and that I reply to. I don't need to reply to comments here. Anyways, that's all and I hope you've enjoyed the story!
> 
> Come talk to us on our Tumblrs [hamburrfangirl](https://hamburrfangirl.tumblr.com/) and [duchessdirepup](https://duchessdirepup.tumblr.com/)!


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